Fire-exf inguisher



(NoV Medel.)

W; BSTY.

FIRE EXTINGUISHBR. No. 558,901.4

Patented Apr. 2l, 1896.

nire Sterns IVILLIAM ESTY, OF LACONIA, NE\V HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO TIIE ESTY SPRINKLER COMPANY, OF NEIV HAMPSHIRE.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent Nol 558,901 dated April 21, 1896.

Application filed September Z1, 1893. Serial No. 486,066. (No model.)

To all whom may concern.-

l Be it known that I, WILLIAM EsrY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Laconia, in the county of Belknap and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Extinguishers, of which the following is a speciiication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

In automatic fire-extinguishers in which a solder or metal fusible at a low temperature is employed to hold together in their normal position the parts which retain the valve on its seat and thereby Vprevent the iiow of the water there is a tendency, especially after the lapse of a period of time, for the said parts to become disengaged and separated by the water-pressure transmitted through the valve, and thus release the valve and permit a iiow of water at a time when it is not required, with resulting damage.

The chief object of my invention, which is an improvement on that set forth in an application filed by me January 25, 1893, Serial No. 459,676, is to obviate this objection; and the present invention therefore consists, essentially, in providing the parts of the vaivesupport with a controlling means for preventing disengagement and separation, when occurring as above stated, from taking place suddenly, and whereby, if these parts separate at all, they will be compelled to do so very slowly, permitting at first only a slight discharge of water, which will be detected, thus allowing the defect to be remedied be fore damage is done. j

I have shown an extinguisher embodying my invention in the accompanying drawings, to which reference is made in the following description, and in whicl1 Figure 1 is a view representing the said eX- tinguisher in elevation. Fig. 2 is a view representing the same in central vertical section. Fig. 3 is a View mainly in side elevation, but partly in section, of the valve-support. Fig. a is a view of the valve-support in plan. Figs. 5 and G are views showing the said support in Vertical cross-section on the lines 5 5 and 6 6, respectively, of Figs. 3 and A. Fig. 7 is a view in elevation of the pin hereinafter described. Fig. 8 is a plan view showing a water-supply pipe.

modification hereinafter referred to. E.) is a view showinga modified form of pin. Fig. IO is a view similar in character to Fig. 3, showing a further modification.

I will first describe the features in general of the extinguisher shown, after which I will describe the controlling means aforesaid and the manner of its application.

Referring to the said drawings, A is a threaded nozzle, which preferably is formed in one piece with a yoke-shaped frame B, in the lower end of which is set the supporting and adjusting screw D. On said screw D, above the head thereof and between said head and the lower portion of the frame B, is loosely mounted the revoluble distributer or deiiector C. The lower end of the nozzle A preferably projects slightly below the upper portion or top of the frame B and forms a valveseat a, the latter being fitted with a valve l), which, when securelyheld in place, serves to close the nozzle A and prevents the escape of water therefrom. The nozzle A, as will be Obvious, is fitted to be screwed into a suitable The valve l) is provided on its under side with a conical recess b', (shown in Fig. 2,) and the inner end of the screw-bolt D is provided with a similar recess d. These recesses receive the correspondingly-formed ends d of the valve-support E. The said valve-support E isformed of two parts f g, which preferably are made exactly alike in order that they may be cast from the same pattern. These parts are of nearly triangular shape when viewed in side elevation, as will be clear from Figs. 3, 4, 5, and (i. They are T-shaped in cross-section, each having the vertical web f or g and the horizontal iianges 7e projecting laterally on both sides of the web thereof. (See Fig. 5.) The proximate sides of the flanges of the two .parts f g form flat faces of considerable area,

which extend from end to end of the said parts, and the fusible metal or solder which holds together the two parts f g is applied to the said faces, as shown.

The described construction of the parts f g of the valve-support insures strength. At the same time the said parts are light and thin, no heavy mass of metal being employed at any point, and they thusheat through quickly IOO and insure the speedy operation on the solder of any increase of temperature. A serious objection to prior sprinklers of this class is the fact that the exposed portions of fusible metal or solder become entirely incrusted or covered by the corrosion of the metal of the valvesupport-that is, by the formation on the metal of the valve-support of verdigris and the like, which is non-conductive, and prevents the speedy fusion of the solder when a re breaks out. In my extinguisher, inasmuch as the solder is exposed only at the edges of the flanges 7a, as will be clear from Figs. 5 and G, and the edges of these flanges are comparatively thin, there is very little opportunity for incrustation to form over the solder. There is also reduced liability of the said edges becoming bound together by the said incrustation in a manner which will prevent the parts f g from separating. In consequence of the fact that the proximate faces of the parts f g are in contact from one end to the other of their length there are no intervening spaces to become lled with the products of corrosion and bind together the said parts. The bearingpoints d d of the valve-support are out of line with and outside of the point h, which is that at which the contact of the proximate faces of parts f g ceases, as will be clear from the dotted line 3 3. (See Fig. 3.) If the solder uniting the said parts f g be fused, so as to afford opportunity to these parts to separate-under the pressure of the water upon the valve b, they will turn on each other at the point h as on a fulcrum, thus releasing` the valve andv permitting a discharge 0f water from the nozzle A.

It will be noted that if the parts f g of the valve-support are secured together by the fusible metal or solder p only they will comA pletely separate suddenly after they once start, inasmuch as the slightest movement apart from each other destroys almost entirely the union see ured by the fusible metal or solder. Hence any separation of the said parts, however slight, will result in a'complete release of the valve l) and a sudden discharge of water to the full capacity of the nozzle. It has been found that after the lapse of a period of time these parts f g of the valve-support are apt to become separated or forced apart in consequence of simply the pressure of the Water upon the valve l), and without the presence of a sufiicient degree of heat to fuse the fusible metal or solder. This is due to the peculiar character of the fusible metal or solder, which has a tendency to creep, as itis termed, especially after the lapse of a periodof time, and is an objection common to devices of this class. )Vhenever tli'e said fusible metal or solder does yield to such pressure and permit the spreading apart to begin, the result is the sudden and complete separation of the parts of the valve-support and the release of the valve, accompanied by a damaging discharge of water to the full capacity of the nozzle, as aforesaid. To prevent the undesirable results which have j ust been set forth, I combine with the said parts f g a controlling means, which I shall now proceed to describe.

At n n are holes which are formed in the parts f g, as shown clearly in Fig. 3, these holes registering with each other, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6.

At m (see Fig. 7) is a pin which preferably is of the shape shown in such iigure-that is, tapering slightly from both ends toward the center, or otherwise suitably enlarged at the ends thereof. Vhen the pin is thus shaped, I make the holes n of a corresponding shape. The pin is somewhat smaller in diameter than the holes n and is inserted into the latter, it being secured in place therein by fusible metal or solder p of the kind used to secure the parts f g.

The parts f g are cast with projecting portions or bosses r 1', (see Figs. 3, 4., and 6,) in which the holes n at are formed, the said holes preferably being locatedv at or near the extreme outer ends of the parts f g in order to enablethe pin m to act more effectually, as

will be obvious, in resisting any tendency to separation of the parts fg. )Vith the pin m inserted and secured in the manner described, in case the fusible metal or solder begins to creep and loses or partially loses its hold on the parts f g, they will begin to separate under the action of the water-pressure; but owing to the filling of solder around the pin m within the holes n u the withdrawal of the said pin from the holes, or from either of the said holes, as the parts f g move apart, will be resisted and retarded, so that the parts f g will separate very slowly. The result of this will be that at iirst only a slight discharge of water from the nozzle will occur, and this, by attracting notice, will give warning of the condition of the extinguisherbefore serious damage has been done; In the presence of a temperature sufficient to fuse the fusible metal or solder the pin m will immediately be released and will no longer interfere with the speedy operation of the device.

The pin m need not be of diminished size in the middle, but may be of one size througlr out, as shown in Fig. 9, and may be of any shape in cross-section desired.

In Fig. 8 I have shown a modification in which a strip or 'liat piece of metal m is set in slots ny cut in the free ends of the parts f g and secured therein by solder p in the same manner as the pin m is secured in the holes n.

I do not desire to limit myself in the form or location of the controlling-pin, or in the number of controlling devices employed. If desired, the controlling-pin may be formed integrally with one of said supports and enter a hole or recess in the other, as shown in Fig. l0.

l. An automatic fire-extinguisher having a valve-support made in two parts, the proximate portions of said parts being at one side IOO IIO

IZO

of a straight line between the bearings of said Valve-support, said proximate portions being united by a metal or solder fusible at a low temperature, and also having a safety coupling device connecting the remote portions of the said parts, whereby the tendency of the latter to separate before the fusing of the said metal or solder is controlled, substantially as described.

2. An automatic fire-extinguisher having a Valve-support made in two pieces united by means of a solder fusible at a low temperature, the proximate faces of said Valve-support being at one side of a straight line between the bearings of the valve-support, each of said 15 parts having a tapering hole formed at a right angle to said proximate faces7 and a controlling-pin of corresponding shape and of less diameter than said holes, extending into and secured in said holes by means of a metal zo 

